1. Field of the Invention
This application relates to devices for recycling solvents containing suspended particulate matter. More particularly, it concerns such devices that are designed to remove suspended pigment or like solids from portions of solvent that have been used to clean paint brushes so it can be reused for further brush cleaning.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Paint brush cleaning in its simplest form comprises placing a quantity of paint thinner or like solvent in a can or other container, immersing the bristle portion of the brush in the solvent and manipulating the brush so that the solvent gradually removes the paint from the brush. Often, it is necessary to pour the paint contaminated solvent out of the container, add some new clean solvent and repeat the process. In the course of such brush cleaning, a quantity of "dirty" solvent is accumulated.
Paint brush cleaning can also be preformed using known mechanical cleaning devices. Typically, in such devices, a cleaning chamber is filled with a cleaning solution, such as paint thinner. The bristle portion of a paint brush is immersed in the cleaning fluid and contacted with it by rotating cleaning elements mounted in the cleaning chamber. After several cleanings, particulate matter from the paint becomes suspended in the cleaning solvent in such mechanical cleaners. The concentration of particulate matter eventually becomes great enough to diminish its cleaning effectiveness. At that point, the cleaning chamber is filled with new cleaning solvent while a quantity of dirty cleaning solvent is accumulated.
A problem exists with respect to the disposal of used cleaning solvents. Increasingly, stringent environmental laws have made disposal of used cleaning solvents more difficult and expensive. However, the accumulated dirty solvent can be reused (recycled) if it can be efficiently separated from the suspended pigments and other solid particles. The present invention addresses this problem and provides a unique type of device for separating suspended solids from paint thinner and like solvents while permitting supernatant clarified solvent to be easily handled for further use in brush cleaning.
Paint brush holders that permit suspended solids to separate from cleaning solvent contained in the holders are known as show by U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,744,635; 2,908,026 and 4,771,501. However, the recycling of clarified solvent from such holders without remixing sedimented solids is difficult.
It is also known, to form devices for containing liquids that include suspended particulate matter which are structured so as to make it possible for the particulate matter as it precipitates out of the suspending liquid to become isolated in a separate chamber or in some other manner permits clarified liquid to be removed from such containers without redispersing the precipitated particles in the clarified liquid as shown by U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,344,485; 2,583,335; 2,661,844; 2,779,472; 3,280,828 and 3,119,544. The present invention provides a new, unique form of this type separation device that is especially suited for use in the recycling of contaminated paint brush solvent.